Job Seekers! Mind Your Manners!

As recruiters, we speak with many job seekers every day, and we are seeing some amazing behavior lately. It’s a tough job market, so maybe this is the time to sharpen your interviewing skills and more importantly, your manners!

Please don’t come in dressed like you just got out of bed. Good grief, take a shower, comb your hair, ladies put on some makeup, and dress in the nicest clothes you have. Pay attention to your grooming. You’re competing against hundreds of other applicants. Set yourself apart.

Don’t react negatively to the employers’ screening process. If asked to provide information a second time, provide it. If asked to take assessments, take them. Heavy sighs and eye-rolling send the wrong message. You’re being assessed on your behavior as well as your skills.

Of course you are frustrated and worried about being unemployed, but arguing with the recruiter will not get you a job. Yelling at someone can’t cause them to suddenly have an opening. And when they do have a position available, you won’t be considered.

Insisting you are qualified for work for which you have no experience doesn’t help. Do describe the background you have that fits the position, but don’t argue that you should be considered if you’re told you don’t match the requirements. The employer knows the qualifications. Arguing only leaves a bad impression and takes you out of the running if a position comes up for which you are qualified.

It’s difficult to be told you’re overqualified. However, employers are genuinely leery of hiring an overqualified person because, from prior experience, they know they’ll lose the employee to the first better opportunity. Don’t tell the interviewer you’re willing to take a lesser position because you just need a job. That makes you sound desperate and certainly doesn’t bring comfort to the employer. And employers have many resources to verify applicants’ backgrounds, so be honest.

Selling yourself doesn’t mean being demanding, launching into a long dissertation about why you’re the best, or leaving in a huff when you’re told there’s nothing available. It does mean presenting your resume, asking and answering questions, and making a good impression because you’re polite and agreeable.

There’s polite persistence, and then there’s annoying stalking. Questioning the recruiter’s honesty or attacking them personally won’t create a job where there isn’t one. Ask if there’s been any change since the last time you spoke, and when would be a good time to check back. Let the recruiter know you’d like to be considered when a position opens. The recruiter will remember you (in a positive way) when there’s a job available.

Employers honestly wish they had positions available. We work hard to stay positive when we have to say “no” all day to people who need employment. Unfortunately, we can’t create jobs out of thin air. What we can do is be honest with you and share any advice and information we have. Our job is to find you the best job possible, so trust us to understand our openings and who is best qualified.

Contact as many places as you can, stay in touch, keep at it - because that’s the only way you’ll snag that elusive opportunity when it does present itself. And for goodness sakes, mind your manners!